Victoria, BC, artist Bob Preston is taking this election seriously. Like many people, he sees this as an opportunity to get rid of Stephen Harper before he does “more damage to this country.”

Inspired by iconic poster image of Obama created by street artist Shepard Fairey, Preston has made an image that is at once mockery and a call to action.

“Fed up with the Harper government, I decided to create an anti-Stephen Harper poster using Fairey’s Obama ‘Hope’ poster as an inspiration. Not interested in just mimicking it, I harnessed the power of the word ‘Nope’ and created a powerful, purely Canadian image that will speak to complacent and disillusioned voters who otherwise might not get out and vote to remove Harper from office,” explained Preston in an email exchange.

“We are lucky in Canada, we don’t have to use rocket launchers to remove our dictator from office, we can actually just vote them out. The problem is that Stephen Harper has apathy on his side. Conservatives get out and vote. It is as simple as that. It is critical that more people who actually don’t want Stephen Harper to be their Prime Minister get out and vote. So to this end I have created a symbol and wakeup call to voters across the country.”

Preston is offering free versions of the poster image for download on his website for people to stick up at work, in store windows, or on sign posts around the city. You can also spread the ‘Nope’ vibe by posting it as your Facebook profile picture and in the caption area say why you’re voting Nope.

Then, when your conservative parents complain about how they wouldn’t have a job without Harper (aka they wouldn’t have a job that paid them as much), you can remind them that you work in the arts, and because of Harper you don’t (or barely) even have a job. A little perspective is always nice.